SS United States hits eviction deadline with urgent plea for more time
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SS United States. Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images
The stewards of the SS United States are out of time, and pointing fingers.
Why it matters: The SS United States Conservancy could lose ownership of the historic ship or face a $3 million fine for not moving it from a South Philadelphia dock by Thursday's deadline.
Driving the news: The Conservancy asked a federal judge again on Wednesday for more time to salvage a sale.
- The stewards say they need until Dec. 5 to rework a deal with Florida's Okaloosa County, which is interested in acquiring the 1,000-foot ship for an artificial reefing project off the Gulf Coast, per the court filing.
What they're saying: The Conservancy blames the dock's landlord, Penn Warehousing, alleging in a statement that Penn Warehousing blocked the stewards' contract to sell the ship to Okaloosa County for $1 million.
- The Conservancy is accusing Penn Warehousing of plotting to keep the ship "hostage" at the pier so it can seize ownership and "sell it to the highest bidder," per the filing.
The other side: Penn Warehousing's attorney, Craig Mills, denies the claims. "We don't want the ship. We want the ship to leave," he tells Axios.
- Mills says his client is willing to engage in court-supervised mediation with the county and Conservancy to reach an agreement on the pier rental.
Meanwhile, Okaloosa County is "actively working" with the Conservancy to revise their deal, county spokesperson Nick Tomecek tells Axios.
Catch up quick: Okaloosa County commissioners delayed a Sept. 3 vote on the deal due to a "wrinkle" in negotiations with Penn Warehousing, per Tomecek.
- Penn Warehousing threatened to charge the Conservancy $3 million if the ship wasn't moved by Sept. 12, saying it would lose out on a lucrative deal with Hyundai Glovis for the docking spot on the Delaware River.
The latest: The Conservancy alleges in the filing that the landlord also demanded $3 million from the county to keep the ship docked there past the deadline, which they say prompted county officials to halt sale negotiations.
- An Okaloosa County official also said in an affidavit that Penn Warehousing attempted to negotiate a sale for the ocean liner for $2.5 million, despite not owning it.
What's next: A hearing is scheduled for Friday.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to add comment from Penn Warehousing's attorney.